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- Ashkenasi You Tube Channel Videos of excerpts from several of Ashkenasi’s musicals
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Notes from a Composer
“Speakeasy” Selections
Tag Archives: Prohibition
The Young Lovers’ Path to Speak Easy
Two Fawns in the Wood Dance into the Light Maybe it’s just a dream. Maybe it’s real. Maybe it doesn’t matter either way. For the shame and the betrayal are felt just as acutely. In the musical Speakeasy, an … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, adultery, Alice in Wonderland, Dance into the Light, Dream, Fawn, Fawn in the Wood, Gershwin, Jane Allison, John Allison, Lewis Carroll, magical realism, musical, Prohibition, Queer, same-sex, sexual identity, Speakeasy, Through the Looking Glass, Trial of the Tarts
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Speakeasy Highlight Reel
It’s the one year anniversary of the workshop performances of “Speakeasy – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland“. To mark the occasion, here are some screen shots of the Speakeasy Highlight Reel, a 13 minute edit of selections from … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, Alice in Wonderland, ball, Cheshire, Danny Ashkenasi, drag, highlight, history, LGBTQ, musical, Prohibition, Queer, reel, Speakeasy, White Rabbit
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The Inspiration for SPEAKEASY’S DUCHESS BENTLEY – Part 2 of The Terrific, Transgressive and Tragic Tale of Gladys Bentley
Gladys Bentley, the model for the character Duchess Bentley in Speakeasy, enjoyed a terrific career as deliberately outrageous Lesbian nightclub singer during the Roaring Twenties, but saw her prospects plummet during the far less permissive Great Depression. Almost all homosexual … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Ex-Gay, Gay, Gene Malin, Gladys Bentley, Julian Eltinge, LGBT, musical, Prohibition, Queer, Red Scare, Repression, Speakeasy, Womanly
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The Inspiration for SPEAKEASY’S DUCHESS BENTLEY – The Terrific, Trangressive and Tragic Tale of Gladys Bentley – Part 1
In the musical Speakeasy – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland, Jane Allison first meets Duchess Bentley, Harlem nightclub singer and unabashed lesbian, when she finds herself outside a door being angrily knocked upon by Minister Fish, who implores … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Bri Molloy, Camille Atkinson, Gay, Gladys Bentley, Great Depression, Harlem, Lewis Carroll, LGBT, musical, Prohibition, Queer, Roaring Twenties, Speakeasy, Tim Connell, Ubangi Club, Wonderland
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SPEAKEASY PRODUCTION PHOTOS #2
“An offbeat, mind-blowing fantasia on identity, taboo romance, and queer culture circa 1930.” Gay City News “The lyrics, melodies, and orchestrations are surprisingly rich and sophisticated.” Gay City News
SPEAKEASY PRODUCTION PHOTOS #1
“One of the most wildly ambitious, inspired theatrical endeavors I’ve seen on an Off Off Broadway stage. Bursting with an excess of ideas and passion” Gay City News “Director Lissa Moira, choreographer J. Alan Hanna, and … Continue reading
Posted in Live! On Stage, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Allie Radice, Anne Bragg, Bevin Bell-Hall, Bri Molloy, Brian Michael Henry, Camille Atkinson, Danny Ashkenasi, Darcy Dunn, Gay, Gay City News, Kayleigh Shuler, Lewis Carroll, LGBT, Lissa Moira, Matias Polar, musical, Prohibition, Queer, Speakeasy, Talkin' Broadway, Theater for the New City, Tim Connell, Wonderland
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Gay City News Review for Speakeasy
“An offbeat, mind-blowing fantasia on identity, taboo romance, and queer culture circa 1930.” “One of the most wildly ambitious, inspired theatrical endeavors I’ve seen on an Off Off Broadway stage. Bursting with an excess of ideas and passion.” “The score … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Allie Radice, Anne Bragg, basketeering, Bri Molloy, browning, Camille Atkinson, Chet Cheshire, Danny Ashkenasi, David Kennelly, dropping pins, Gay, Gay City News, Gladys Bentley, J. Alan Hanna, Jonathan Fox Powers, Julian Eltinge, Kayleigh Shuler, Lewis Carroll, LGBT, Lissa Moira, Matias Polar, musical, Pansy Craze, Peter Welch, Prohibition, Queer, Speakeasy, taboo, Tim Connell, Tweedle Sisters, Vaseline Alley, Wonderland
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ANOTHER OPENING OF ANOTHER SHOW!
SPEAKEASY John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland is now in previews! Grand Opening Night Saturday 8pm! Theater for the New City – 155 1st avenue I think Cole Porter had something to say about this: Another Op’nin, Another … Continue reading
Posted in Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Another Op'nin, Another Opening Another Show, Another Show, Cole Porter, Kiss Me Kate, LGBT, musical, Prohibition, Queer, Speakeasy, Theater for the New City, Wonderland
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BROADWAY BULLET PODCAST INTERVIEWS DANNY ASHKENASI ABOUT SPEAKEASY
Broadway Bullet’s Michael Gilboe interviewed me back in December for his seventh season of Broadway Bullet podcasts. Episode 703 includes that interview. It begins on the 37 min 24 second mark. Michael Gilboe always provides unedited full length versions … Continue reading
The BROADWAY BLOG spotlights SPEAKEASY
The Broadway Blog has posted an article about Speakeasy. Find it here or read the excerpt below: Opening — ‘Speakeasy: John and Jane’s Adventures in Wonderland’ February 8th, 2016 Matthew Wexler Before there was Hedwig and the Angry Inch, there … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Broadway Blog, Danny Ashkenasi, Gay, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Lewis Carroll, LGBT, Mathew Wexler, musical, Prohibition, Queer, Speakeasy, Theater for the New City
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Adam Szymkowicz interviews Danny Ashkenasi
So there are two last names with lots of letters and lots of Eastern European heritage… Adam Szymkovicz posted his interview with me yesterday on his site. You can go to it here or read the excerpt below. Those looking … Continue reading
AXS INTERVIEW
The on-line magazine AXS has published an interview with yours truly. The questions delve into the evolution of Speakeasy as well as musical influences in my childhood and advice to aspiring playwrights and composers. The article is excerpted below: Interview … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Berlin, Danny Ashkenasi, Dolly Sisters, Gene Malin, Gladys Bentley, jack hilton cunningham, Jacqui Sutton, Julian Eltinge, Lewis Carroll, LGBT, musical, Opera, Prohibition, Queer, Speakeasy, Theater for the New City, Wonderland
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Official Speakeasy Publicity Photos
Chet Cheshire with the Tweedle Sisters (Anne Bragg, Bri Molloy, Allie Radice) Duchess Bentley, Jane Allison, John Allison & Julian Carnation (Camille Atkinson, Rosalie Graziano, Matias Polar & Tim Connell) The “dip”. John surrounded by Julian and … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Allie Radice, Anne Bragg, Bevin Bell-Hall, Bri Molloy, Brian Michael Henry, Camille Atkinson, Cory Tarallo, Darcy Dunn, LGBT, Matias Polar, musical, Peter Welch, Prohibition, Rosalie Graziano, Speakeasy, Tim Connell, Torian Brackett, Zach Wachter
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Behind the scenes at the SPEAKEASY PRESS PHOTO SHOOT
It is an odd reality of our production of Speakeasy that our Public Relations officer required press photos before we even launched into rehearsals. So we had to “create” moments from the show before we had yet gotten around to … Continue reading
Speakeasy Tickets Now on Sale
Tickets for the showcase production of SPEAKEASY – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland are now on sale. Check out the Theater for the New City Speakeasy webpage here! Check out the Smarttix Speakeasy ticket purchase page here! Plus, … Continue reading
SPEAKEASY GOES OFF TO THE BALLROOM – The Great Drag Balls of the 1920’s/1930’s
The centerpiece in Act Two of the new musical “Speakeasy – John and Jane Allison in the Wonderland” is the great drag ball at the Jefferson Lodge Ball. Chet Cheshire presides over the festivities, attended by a sparkling variety of … Continue reading
Notes from a Composer 